South Downs Council approves 93.2% of planning applications, based on 10,511 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. South Downs sits 5.3 percentage points above the national average.
Enter your postcode for a personalised approval likelihood score — based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in South Downs.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 4,005 | 392 | 4,397 | 91.1% |
| Trees | 1,981 | 15 | 1,996 | 99.2% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 1,686 | 75 | 1,761 | 95.7% |
| Listed Building | 934 | 43 | 977 | 95.6% |
| Other | 450 | 49 | 499 | 90.2% |
| Prior Approval | 384 | 52 | 436 | 88.1% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 288 | 78 | 366 | 78.7% |
| Advertisement | 70 | 9 | 79 | 88.6% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Meon Valley Ward | 565 | 8 | 573 | 98.6% |
| Fittleworth Ward CH | 454 | 39 | 493 | 92.1% |
| Fernhurst Ward CH | 436 | 56 | 492 | 88.6% |
| Lewes Priory Ward | 403 | 41 | 444 | 90.8% |
| Harting Ward CH | 404 | 25 | 429 | 94.2% |
| Midhurst Ward CH | 380 | 29 | 409 | 92.9% |
| Liss Ward | 349 | 18 | 367 | 95.1% |
| Binsted, Bentley & Selborne Ward | 330 | 21 | 351 | 94.0% |
| Central Meon Valley Ward | 329 | 9 | 338 | 97.3% |
| Easebourne Ward CH | 280 | 28 | 308 | 90.9% |
| Lewes Castle Ward | 277 | 30 | 307 | 90.2% |
| Petersfield St Peter's Ward | 289 | 15 | 304 | 95.1% |
| Lewes Bridge Ward | 270 | 32 | 302 | 89.4% |
| Petworth Ward CH | 265 | 35 | 300 | 88.3% |
| Ditchling And Westmeston Ward | 278 | 21 | 299 | 93.0% |
| Lavant Ward CH | 251 | 29 | 280 | 89.6% |
| Alresford & Itchen Valley Ward | 277 | 2 | 279 | 99.3% |
| Buriton & East Meon Ward | 250 | 19 | 269 | 92.9% |
| Froxfield, Sheet & Steep Ward | 244 | 19 | 263 | 92.8% |
| Kingston Ward | 222 | 27 | 249 | 89.2% |
| East Dean Ward | 233 | 14 | 247 | 94.3% |
| Colden Common And Twyford Ward | 207 | 6 | 213 | 97.2% |
| Pulborough, Coldwatham and Amberley | 168 | 8 | 176 | 95.5% |
| Findon Ward | 154 | 11 | 165 | 93.3% |
| Goodwood Ward CH | 150 | 13 | 163 | 92.0% |
Showing top 25 of 71 wards by volume. Your Pro Report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →Real residential planning decisions from South Downs council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| SDNP/25/03240/LIS Ditchling And Westmeston Ward | Replacement of roof, installation of two conservation rooflights and amendments | Approved |
| SDNP/26/00328/HOUS Liss Ward | Retrospective application for the replacement of ground floor windows, doors, re | Approved |
| SDNP/25/05060/LDE Fittleworth Ward CH | Rear conservatory, front and rear dormer windows to main dwelling and main exten | Approved |
| SDNP/25/04309/HOUS Kingston Ward | Erection of single-storey rear extension and the installation of 10no. solar pan | Approved |
| SDNP/25/04096/HOUS Harting Ward CH | Replacement 2 storey and single storey extensions. | Refused |
| SDNP/25/04097/HOUS Petworth Ward CH | Single storey side extension and addition of first floor window on west elevatio | Refused |
| SDNP/25/01441/LDE Lewes Bridge Ward | Use of property as two separate flats since 2015 | Approved |
| SDNP/25/05013/HOUS Ditchling And Westmeston Ward | Erection of veranda structure and decked area to front | Approved |
| SDNP/25/04942/LIS Lewes Priory Ward | Repair beam in ceiling of bedroom | Approved |
| SDNP/25/04846/HOUS Petersfield St Peter's Ward | Second storey rear extension above existing single storey section of existing dw | Refused |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your Pro Report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on South Downs's 10,511 real decisions. Delivered by email in minutes.
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Dig deeper into South Downs's planning statistics — by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Based on 10,511 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Downs is 93.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. However, rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 10,511 planning decisions from South Downs council. 9,798 were approved and 713 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in South Downs is 93.2%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the PlanningLens free postcode check to get a personalised score.